Excavating apparatus.



A. A. MITCHELL. EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

APPucATlon man 3.20. 1918.

Patented July 30, 1918'.

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A. A. MITCHELL.

EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, I9III.

, A A. MITCHELL. EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

UiviTED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

ARTHUR A. MITCHELL, 0F COLERAINE, MINNESOTA.

EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 30, 191,8.

Application filed February 20, 1918. Serial No. 218,190. K

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR A, MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Coleraine, in the county of Itasca and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavating Apparatus,- of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing Y i This invention relates to certain improvements in excavating apparatus and has relation more particularly to a device of this general character especially designed and adapted for use in the digging of ditches or the like and it is an objectv of the invention to pro-v vide a novel and improved apparatus of this general character including an elevated traclrway with which an earth working element is engaged together with means associated with said element for effecting an excavating operation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved apparatus ofV this general character including aidigging shovel or scraper having means associated therewith for causing the same to properly engage the ground together withmeans kfor maintaining said shovel or scraper in elevated position after the same has beeniilled.

Another object 'of the invention is toprovide a novel and improved apparatus' of this general character including a digging shovel or scraper adapted to be elevated as the same is withdrawn overpthe work and wherein the means for drawing said shovel or scraper serves to elevate the same to permit the desired deposit or dumping of-the load received by the shovel or scraper.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel andimproved apparatusof this general character kincluding a mast adapted to be vertically disposed together withy means whereb said mastmay be effectively inaintaine in its vertical position. A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus of this general character including'an-upstanding mast which serves as a-support for an end of an elevated trackway together with a diggingshovel or scraper supported by said trackway, and wherein a pulling cable is connected with'the shovel or scraper and which coacts-with a boom carried by the mast so that said cable serves tol elevate the shovel or scraper when within a predetermined distance of the mast.

hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe tlie same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an y excavating apparatus constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view partly intop plan and partly in section 0f the apparatus. as herein disclosed;

y Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the ,apparatus as herein embodied with certain of the parts in section;

YFig. 4 is a fragmentary view partly Vin elevation and partly in section taken through the shovel or scraper as herein included;

Fig. 5 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating the hanger traveling upon the cable together with its concomitant parts; and

Fig. 6A is a view in end elevation of theV structure aslshown in Fig. 5 with the supporting cable in section.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings l, 1 denotev ground sills arranged in parallelism and which are maintainedin predetermined spacedrelation through the medium of the cross members 2. Rotatably supported by the forward end portions of the sills l is a transversely disposed member f 3 which has'. secured thereto the'lower end `preferred construction. The members '4L are also, tied or connected at predetermined points longitudinally thereof by the transversely disposed beams 6. Secured to the beam 6.at a point midway between themembers 4 yis a beam 7 extending ylongitudinally of the mast and said beam 7 adjacent its lower end is provided with a pair of` out.

standing and longitudinally spaced eye members 8 through which the removable pin 9 is disposed.

B denotes a boom provided at its inner end with a loop member 10 or the like which is adapted to be disposed between the eye members 8 and through which the pin 9 is also directed. By this arrangement it will be self-evident that the boom B will be held by the mast M for swinging movement.

Secured to the upper end portion oi the mast M is a forwardly directed clevis 11 and interposed between said clevis 11 and the upstanding clevis 12 carried by the outer end portion of the member 3 is a( flexible supporting member or cable 14. interposed between the upper portion of Ythe mast M and the rear transverse member 3 is a rigid member 15. The upper end portions of each of the members 4 with the mast M has secured thereto a flexible bracing'member 16 which is secured at its opposite or lower end to the rear end portion. of a sill 1. It is preferred that the supporting member comprises a plurality of sections connected by a tensioning device 17 for a purpose which is believed to be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art to which my prese-nt invention appertains. 1

To further maintain the mast M in its vertical position, l ind it of advantage to em.- ploy the guy lines 18. The outer ends of the lines 18 are secured to any suitable anchor and said lines are disposed over the pulleys 19 carried by the cap 5 and downwardly to the winding drums 2O carried by the sills 1. It will be self-evident that by imparting requisite rotation to the pulleys 19 the desired tension may be imposed upon the lines 18 as the occasions of practice may require.

C denotes a supporting cable or traclnvay having one end suitably secured to the upper end portion of the mast M and to the clevis 11 if preferred. The cable C is disposed ina direction longitudinallv of the ditch or the like and has its outer end portion connectedY with a suitable anchor. By this arrangement it will be at once self-evident that the cable C will be disposed upwardly in a direction toward the mast M on a predetermined incline. Adapted to travel upon the cable C is a hanger 21 from which depends the frame or shell 22 for the pulley 23. Secured to the lower portion et' the frame or shell 22 is a cable 24 which is disposed around the pulley 25 mounted upon a digging shovel or scraper D. The cable 24 is then returned and disposed around the pulley 23 and leads from such pulley 23 a distance sufficient to permit the same to be readily grasped by a workman standing upon the surface of the ground or within the excavation. The pullev23 is provided with a suitable locking means for holding the cable 24 against retrograde movement. l do not wish to limit myself in any way as to the character of locking means employed although in the present embodiment of the invention I provide the periphery of the pulley 23 with the eccentric groove 27whereby the cable 24 when seated within said eccentric groove is eiiectively clamped against the shell or frame 22 and therebyy held against movement over the pulley 23. The shovel or scraper D as herein disclosed has its rear portion bridged by the plate 28 and the rear end ot the shovel or scraper proper and the plate 28 has coac'ting therewith the hinged bottom 29 normally maintained in closed position by any desired latch mechanisin 30. It is to be noted that the pulley 25 is secured directly to the plate 28.

lrivotally engaged with the side walls of the shovel or scraper D is a bail 31. The

YVconnections between the bail 31 and the shovel or scraper D are substantially at the forward end of the plate 28. T he forward portion of the bail 31 has suitably fixed thereto a clevis 32 and attached to said clevis 32 is the flexible member or cable 33. The cable 33 is directed over a pulley 34 depending trom the outer end portion of the boom B and is then operativelyr vengaged with a. drum 35 rotatably supported by the sills 1. The drum 35 .may be driven bythe motor N preferably of an internal combustiontype or if preferred draft annuals may Y vbe hitched directly to the flexible member or cable Extending rearwardly fromthe shovel or scraper D are the handles 36 so that as the shovel or scraper D is drawn over the ground the same may be properly controlled by a workman. `In order to regulate the depth of penetration of the entering -edge of the shovel or scraper D I iind itof Yadvantage to secure to the forward end portion of the shovel the llexible member v37 adapted to be adjustably connected with the bail 31. y

When theshovel oiscr'apery Dis being drawn over the ground to be loaded the cable 24 is unlocked relative to the pulley 23 whereby the shovel or scraper D may readily have the necessary engagement with the ground. When the shovel or scraper D has been properlyloaded it -is only ynecessary for the workman to manipulate the cable 24 in such a manner as to lock the same at the pulley 23. The continued pull upon the cable 33 will result Jin the shovel or. scraper VD being elevated on account of the upward scraper will assume substantially a vertical position and when the swinging bottom 29 is released the contents of the shovel or pulley 39 under which scraper D may be readily emptied or discharged. It will also be self-evident that by laterally swingingthe boom B the desired point of discharge for the shovel or scraper D may be obtained. When it is desired to perform an .excavating operation in substantially close proximity to the mast M, I find it of advantage to employ the flexible member or cable 38 of desired length and which is secured at one end to the member 3 and provided at its opposite end withv a asses the flexible member or cable 33. Withthe use4 ofthis cable 38 and pulley 39 it will be at once self-evident that'fthe shovel or scraper D may be caused to properly penetrate the ground close up to the sills 1 or the mast M carried thereby.

I ind it of advantage to employ in connection with the drum 35 a suitable brake Ll0 herein disclosed as of a band type.

From the foregoin description, it is thought to be obviousv t at an excavating apparatus constructed in accordancewith my invention is particularly well adapted for v use by reason of the-convenience and facility with which it may kbe assembled and operated and it will `also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim: Y

l. An excavating apparatus` comprising, in combination, an upstanding mast, a boom carried thereby, a track inclined upwardly toward the mast and secured to the upper portion of the mast, a hanger traveling upon said track, a digging implement adjustablyvV engaged with said hanger, and a flexible pulling element securedl to the digging implement and engaged with the outer portion of the boom.

2. An excavating apparatus comprising, in combination, an upstanding mast, a boom carried thereby, an elevated trackway secured to the mast, a digging implement,

means coacting with the implement and Vtraclrway whereby said limplement may be atrack-way inclined upwardly towardy the' mast and secured to the upper portion of, the mast, a digging implement, means coacting with the implement and Vthe trackway whereby said implement may ybemoved along the track-way, and aflexible pulling `element secured to the digging implement andengaged with the outer portion of the boom. t

4. An excavating apparatus comprising a'track-'way inclined upwardly toward the mast andsecured to the uper portion of the mast, a digging implement, means coacting with the implement andthe track-way` y an upstanding mast, a boom carried thereby,

whereby said implement mayV be V'moved along the track-way, a ,flexible pulling ele ment'secured to the digging implement and f engaged with the outerportion of the boom, v

and a guiding member coacting with the vliexible pulling-elementl at `appoint below the boom.

f -V t 5. An excavating apparatus comprising'r an upstanding mast, a boom carrledV thereby, l a track-way `inclined upwardly toward the mast and secured to the upper portion ofy the mast, a digging-implement, means coacting with the implement and theV track- Y way whereby said implement may be'moved along the track-way, a liexible pulling element secured to the digging implement and engaged with the` outer portion of the boom,

la flexible member secured to` the lower portion of the mast, and a pulley carried by the Y outer end portion of said last named member and with which the Vflexible pulling ele-v ment is engaged.V l

In testimony whereof I hereunto alix my y signature inthe presence of two witnesses. ARTHUR A.V MITCHELL." l/Vitnesses: l i

P. C. BENNETT, i A. R. INMAN.v

Copies o! this patent may be obtained for tive cents each, by addressigngthie Gommlmpner of Patents.

Walhington, D. C. i i 

